Chug Dog

Some find the art of training their chug puppy daunting. However, when you step back, it is actually simpler than it seems.

Training your chug puppy can be both frustrating and rewarding.  You may not want to torment your poor chug puppy for months on end with commands that to him may seem irrelevant and unncessary.  However, when they finally start to obey, it will only strengthen your relationship.  After all, uneaten furniture makes everyone happy, right? He has learned that when you are happy you give him treats and he has also learned the things that are most likely to make you happy.

This is of course a beneficial relationship for all concerned.  You get what you want and the dog gets what he wants, making everyone more pleased.  Some people say that the dog is actually happier because it craves rules and boundaries.  Dogs will test you to see how far they can push you because they want you to define their limitations, to give them their place in the household.  I am not sure how convincing I find this argument but it makes some sense, in the way it makes sense that children with rules and boundaries tend to be better adjusted as well.

So what does this mean in a nutshell – stay consistent and dilligent with your chug puppy’s training and you both be happy as a result of your loving compromise.

After spending countless hours researching, you have finally decided to buy a Chug Puppy. The hard part is over now, right? Wrong. It is important you immediately become aware of your chug puppy’s behavior and start his training regiments immediately, as this will shape his personality for years to come.

Avoid These Training Mistakes With Your New Chug Puppy:

1. Potty training your puppy indoors and then expecting him to automatically go outdoors when he is older. Many chug puppy owners experiment with puppy pads because it seems easier than dragging the dog outside all the time. This is not recommended as the puppy may become accustomed to it and having him go outside may require you to reverse his training.

2. Letting the chug puppy sleep in your bed for the first few nights and then expecting him to sleep on his own in a few days without crying. He’ll just cry louder and longer since he will think that he is being punished. It is important to set his nighttime expectations early. The owners of this site made the mistake with their chug puppy Max.

3. Avoiding crate training because you think it is cruel. In actuality, crate training helps keep your puppy safe, since he can’t get into dangerous situations when you aren’t watching him if he’s crated. Also, he actually feels more secure when he is crated while no one else is home.

4. Taking your chug puppy with you when you go out, especially if you are going to a park or pet store. Puppies should be finished with immunizations before they go on outings. Their immune systems are often not fully developed when they are young which makes them more susceptible to some of the deadliest dog diseases.

5. Letting your puppy do things that are cute in puppies and not at all cute in full size dogs – such as biting or jumping up on guests.

Remember, it is easier to curb these behaviors early than it is to break an older dog of these habits

We just brought our Chug Puppy Max to New York where the temperature was much colder than here in North Carolina. We already knew he did not like the cold, as he often shakes in it. However, that should not stop us or other chug puppy owners from training their pup. Depending on where you live, there may be snow on the ground from November through March. During these times, you may have to bring training into your home.

If you use equipment for your training and have a hallway, basement, or garage, make sure you bring these in or put a tarp over them before it snows and your equipment is frozen to the ground. If you do not want to clutter your house, just bring one piece in at a time.

Training Equipment Your Chug Puppy Can Use Indoors:

Pause Table: The Pause Table is a great obstacle for developing your obedience behaviors and teaching agility directional commands. (Example of a Pause Table)

Contact Trainer: A 3-Piece Contact Trainer offers you versatility; you have an A-frame side, the Pause Table, and a Chug dog-walk plank. Practicing your two feet on and two feet off is convenient and quick when you have indoor contacts, only a few minutes a day to steady your chug dog’s behavior. (Example of a Contact Trainer)

Jump Matting: Indoor jumping must be approached carefully. If you don’t have indoor matting, don’t do jump training. Jumping on concrete or wood floors can injure or cause damage to your chug puppy later in his life. But you can use the uprights or posts to practice your handling. Use your Sit-stay or Down-stay and practice your lines or chug puppy’s path with no jump bars. (Example of Jump Matting)

There is also a variety of mini agility equipment that can be purchased, and don’t require the same space as standard equipment. There are mini-teeters, mini-chug dog walks, and mini-A-frames. These are great obstacles for chug puppy training or indoor winter training.

So, during the cold winter months, don’t give pause your agility training. Regardless of the level of your chug puppy, there is always something that you can do indoors with your agility training.

Our Chug Puppy Max is now approaching 4 months of age. When we initially brought him home, he was very docile and very much a lap dog, like his mom who was a pug. However, as he has gotten older we have noticed his agility increasing. He can now dart around the room when he is playing. One of his favorite places to hide is under the couch!

If your chug puppy has a lot of Chiuaua traits you will probably notice this type of activity:

1. He moves his paws like a cat.
2. They paw at corners, rugs and blankets in a rapid motion.
3. They burrow under the covers of your bed at night.
4. They hide under the couch.

We have seen this behavior with our chug max and have read about it on numerous websites. Since chug puppies are part chiuaua, they inherit traits such as nervousness and suceptability to colder temperatures. This usually results in your chug puppy seeking warm, enclosed enviornments.

While this may appear cute at first, you want to be carefull that your chug puppy does not rip up your carpet or other blankets/fabrics. You may want to consider a bitter spray to line the edge of your carpet with. Products such as NaturVet are often effective.

If you have a new chug puppy and are looking for the secret to training the chug puppy into the well-behaved chug dog of your dreams, the secret is simple and easy: chug dog treats. Both chis and pug are a bit stubborn, so it’s important you train early and used the right motivational tools. We have been using Pet Smart’s training treats with our chug puppy Max and they have been doing the trick.

All chug dog owners know the sometimes slow and frustrating process of training, taming and teaching their chug dog some good behavior and maybe even some fun tricks. The problem for many owners is that they forget about one of the main reasons that any human or chug dog will act: motivation. Just like you need a little motivation to start exercising more or to get your house cleaned out, chug dogs need motivating reasons big enough to make them want to stop wetting on your carpet or eating holes into all of your socks. Chug dog treats can be a sure way to motivate your pup to comply with your orders. Make sure you are patient during this process.

Chug dog treats are a great motivator for chug puppies for the obvious reason that the dog wants them… Only when chug dog treats are actually reserved as a special treat will chug dogs want to do whatever it takes to enjoy the yummy treat. Imagine these two options in your own life: in the first option, you could eat ice cream as much and as often as you wanted to; in the second option, you could only enjoy ice cream if you had put in a full hour of working out. Would you be very motivated to work out under the first option? Of course you wouldn’t. Not if ice cream could be a treat whether you exercised or not. I want you to know that your chug puppies and chug dogs are no different, and that is why it is vital that chug dog treats are only given as a reward for performing well.

For you, the chug dog owner, chug dog treats are great because they are relatively inexpensive. Before you rush off and spend a lot of money for a chug puppy obedience school you should try to train your chug puppy for a considerable amount of time on your own. And use chug dog treats. Even if the process of training your own chug puppy is frustrating, it will be better for you and your pup if they received all of their training from you.

Whether you are teaching your pup how to sit down or roll over or how to go potty outside, using chug dog treats can be an important element of the training. In no time your chug dog will learn to love the reward of chug dog treats enough that it will obey the commands you give

We have updated our article: How to Stop Your Chug Puppy from Biting. Please have a read to see how our chug Max’s behavior has progressed.

After you are done finding a chug puppy, it’s time to take him home it’s time to take on the role of mother hen or an alpha male and begin shaping the chug puppies personality.

Be very patient when raising a chug puppy. Sometimes you will think that your chug puppy is “too stubborn” or just “won’t listen”. Don’t get discouraged and above all, be consistent with your training. We found that having a training session right after you get back from work or another outing works well

Despite of all the challenges of training a chug puppy, you should always remember that in the end it will be for both your benefit. If you leave your chug puppy untrained, it will think that it�s the alpha male in your household and it will be even harder to make him obedient. You definetley do not want this to happen so stay dilligent with your training.

Just like in anything else in life keeping a positive point of view helps. Even in training your chug puppy. When your chug puppy keeps on destroying stuff, humping guests or even messing up the garbage, scolding it in a negative matter WILL NOT help.

Instead the chug puppy should be trained in a positive manner. Do this and he will be well behaved and a joy to have around.

We’ve had our chug puppy max for a month now and have taught him to sit, rollover and play dead. Suprisingly he has been easy to train thus far.

Training your chug may be something you do not want to take on by yourself. There are a lot of professional trainers advertising in the industry today which makes trying to determine who’s truly qualified to train your chug dog an overwhelming task. Chugs are a rare breed, so make sure that the person you select actually has experience with chug dogs and chug puppies.

Here are a few things to look for when finding someone to train your chug:

• A good reputation, ask around and get recommendations from your vet, other chug dog owners, or local kennel clubs.
• Experience. – Inquire about their background,  i.e. number of years experience.
• A genuine love of and devotion to dogs. Try and find someone who is passionate and not just in it for financial gain.
• Up to date and knowledgeable. Dedicated trainers keep themselves educated by attending training and animal behaviour courses, conferences, seminars and other workshops.
• Memberships with credible associations, organizations and training clubs.

Here are some sites that may help you find a trainer for your chug dog:

http://www.dogtrainersdirectory.com/trainers_locations.html

http://www.dogtrainersearch.com/

There are as many ways to raise a chug puppy as there are to raising a child. But most of us agree that when it comes to children, it can be easier since they sense and process information the same way we do.

How many times have we heard, “My dog just won’t listen to me”, or “He just won’t behave!” It truly takes dedication to train your chug correctly – ideally you want to start doing it the right way when he is a puppy.

3 Things to remember when training your chug puppy:

1. Chug dogs do not understand English until we teach them. When you begin training your chug, they study us to learn our body language, facial expressions and the tone of our language. Until we teach them the English language, all they understand is our tone. If we say, “Wanna go out?” one day, “Have to go potty?” the next day, and, “Hafta pee?” the third day, if they DO figure out what we want, it is because we have picked up the leash and moved toward the door with a happy face! If you want to speed up his training by three-fold, teach him YOUR language. Pick a command for EACH behavior and stick with it. Consistency is very important when teaching a chug what your voice tones mean.
2. A young chug puppy’s metabolism is working overtime. That results in having to go to the bathroom more often than older dogs. Therefore, do not punish or hit your chug puppy when he makes a mistake in your house.  You will notice your chug’s favorite time to go to the bathroom will be after sleeping and eating primarily. Make sure you bring him out consistently, catch him in the act if he goes in your house and praise him when he goes outside and not in your house. Follow those steps and your chug puppy should be housebroken by 7-8 weeks of age.
3. Chug dogs are observant of facial expressions. Do not scowl and turn away from them when they make mistakes while training. This can lead to an insecure chug, as he may begin to have separation issues, which is one of the first things you want to tame when you get your chug puppy.

Teaching your chug puppy crate training is one of the first things you will have to do when he is new to your home. It makes all the other steps in his training all the more easier, Crate training helps you establish yourself as the Alpha member and the leader of his back. It is crucial that you start your chug puppy in a crate when he is very young.

A medium size crate will suit your chug puppy just fine. Make sure the create is large enough for your chug puppy to stand up in and turn around. However, make sure he can not wander around. A great that is too large for your chug will inhibit the house breaking process.

A crate that is just the right size will be perceived as his “nest”, where puppies never “go potty”. They will learn to hold it if you don’t make a prison out of it. Never leave a chug puppy under 8 weeks longer than one hour in his crate. He will soil it, after struggling and suffering as long as he can.

Put a nice pad in there with a bone. Start with placing a tasty treat in there, he will go in and get it. Do this several times without closing the door, let him come in and out freely for an hour or so. Praise him highly each time he goes in, make it all very pleasant.

Then when his attention is on his treat, close the door. Praise him quietly, “What a good boy, it’s ok, such a good boy!” In 10 or 20 seconds, no longer, let him out without a word, no praise, just a pat. Do this for increasingly longer intervals, but do not give him a chance to get upset. You can do this several times the first day.

Make sure every training session ends on a happy note, this is crucial.

Once he sees the crate is his own private territory, he will go in there on his own, expecting treats and your attention. When he does, say, “Wanna crate?” with a happy face while getting his treats. Start leaving the room while he is in there for 2 minutes and onward, gradually. When you return, don’t make a fuss, just walk over and open the crate. In 3 days he will be officially crate-trained, ready to be left alone for an hour, no longer at first. Leave him gradually longer, slowly and carefully.

Last week we posted on our 10 week old chug puppy’s nipping habit and decided that we would give the spray bottle method a test. After 4 days of using this method, we are pleased with the results. Our chug has begun licking our hands instead of biting them. At first, we felt bad about spraying him since he looked frightened but he is now behaving appropriatley. When you think about it, it is less cruel to give your chug puppy a quick spray of water than it is to hit him or lock him in his crate. We have also learned that locking your chug puppy in his crate is not a good idea, since it is where he spends a lot of time and you do not want him to associate part of his home with fear, angst or pain.

Update 12/9/09

After about a month, our chug puppy has started biting with less force. He now playfully nips only. However, we are still not satisfied with our chug puppy’s behavior because he is often possessive of his toys and refuses to drop them when asked. We think it is mostly due in part to the fact that we let him play a lot of tug of war games with his friend who is an older minature pinscher.

Possessiveness aside, we still have to stop our chug puppy from biting completely, even if it is not a strong bite.  We searched a lot of articles online and liked this one the best. It has many useful tips such in addition to the ones we found earlier (see above) such as:

• Try and teach your chug puppy to stop biting before it is 4.5 months old.
• First try to control the the force of the chug puppys bite, then try and control the frequency.
• When chug puppies start bite you, even if playful, stop interacting with them completely. If they do it again, place them in a room that does not have anyone to play with.
• Do not make whining sounds when your chug puppy bites you, or he may think it is part of the game.

Last night we tried the putting our chug puppy in the spare bedroom when he bit us. He began to understand why we were doing it after a few times.

Remember since chug puppies are part pug, they will have some stubborness so be consistent and patient.

Updates to come…

So, your chug puppy is starting teeth heavily. Chewing his bones is fine, but how do you get your little chug from biting your fingers? Good question. There are a lot of “experts” out there with different opinions. Which do you trust? Which reccomendations work? Our chug has entered this stage and we plan on finding out the best answer.

Generally speaking, most experts reccomend doing the following when your chug puppy is biting:

• Don’t smack them in the head. (I will admit, this was our natural reaction.)
• Don’t encourage them by playing tug of war or chasing type games.
• Use a consistent stop-word to let the dog know you oppose him biting you. Some say “no, bah, etc.”

I have also seen pet stores sell spray bottles that are used for training purposes. Apparently, this is highly effective when combined with the stop word mentioned above.

We will be purchasing one of these tonight and will post the results of the new training here.